Vets want Trump to make return of Korean War casualties a summit priority

Troops of the First U.S. Cavalry Division land ashore at Pohang on the east coast of Korea on July 19, 1950. The remains of about 5,300 service members missing in action during the Korean War are believed to be on North Korean soil today. (AP)

In a letter to the White House, officials from the Veterans of Foreign Wars said the topic is a critical one for the relatives of approximately 5,300 service members killed during the Korean War whose remains were never recovered.

“For the families of those who never returned, the passage of time does not heal their wounds,” the letter stated. “For them, the days became weeks, and the weeks became months, then years, and now, sadly, decades.”

Embarking on a self-described “mission of peace,” President Donald Trump’s seat-of-the-pants foreign policy is facing its toughest test yet as he attempts this week to personally broker an end to North Korea’s nuclear program in talks with Kim Jong Un.

By: Zeke Miller, Catherine Lucey, The Associated Press

U.S. and North Korean officials have previously worked on the issue in the past, forging a repatriation agreement that lasted from 1990 to 2005 and allowed the return of 229 sets of remains back to America.

VFW officials said hundreds of other sets of remains were also identified and potential sites for recovery identified during that time frame. But 13 years ago, in the face of deteriorating political relations, the effort was suspended.

The letter, also sent to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, urges the president “to do everything in your power to ensure that those who paid the ultimate price for freedom during the Korean War are finally returned home.”

More than 35,000 Americans died on the Korean Peninsula during that war. Of those, 7,700 are still listed as missing in action, with 5,300 believed to be on North Korean soil.

Fear of missing out?

Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community.

Thanks for signing up.

By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter: Sign up for the Retirement Report

Sign up for the Retirement ReportEach week, get insights on retirement benefits and issues

Trump and the North Korean leader are scheduled to meet on Tuesday in Singapore for a unprecedented summit between the two countries, one that Trump has said he hopes could lead to stable relations with the antagonistic North Korean leadership regime.

The pair are scheduled to meet face-to-face on Tuesday morning, with follow-up meetings between lower-ranking officials expected to take place later in the day.